Google Narrows Down Graphic Design Contest

Tech and search engine giant Google has narrowed down the prospects for its annual "Doodle 4 Google" contest, which called upon students K-12 to draw a Google homepage design, with the winners receiving scholarship funds and technology grants.

Google frequently features a cycle of animated headlines and drawings on its homepage, and is now opening the process up to students and aspiring designers.

The company announced Wednesday it has narrowed the pool down to 40 drawings – from a record 107,000 – and will now have users vote on the remaining candidates at the Doodle 4 Google website.

"We'd like to take the time to thank the teachers, parents and administrators who encouraged their students to dream big and put those ambitions on paper. Without you, this contest wouldn't have been possible," Marissa Mayer, Google vice president of product management, wrote in a blog post for the company.

The contest highlights the role of graphic design education in an increasingly digital world. As social media, mobile technology and other web-based channels seem to pull more and more consumers into a digital world, even massive tech firms like Google understand the importance of promoting traditional media and design.